Ace of cups: The beginning of a love relationship. Expression of warm feelings. Romantic longing for something extraordinary. Emotional and spiritual growth.
Inverse: emotional dryness, feeling oneself empty. Avoidance of intimacy, negative feelings, heartbreak.
2 of cups: Partnership. A romantic relationship or a close personal alliance. Interpersonal dynamics based on social norms. Passion in a love relationship, which may turn against itself.
Inverse: A crisis in a couple relationship, disappointment with someone who was close to you.
3 of cups: Birth. Something new brings joy and happiness. Caring for a child. Issues of child-parents relations. A common project motivated by feelings and not only by interests.
Inverse: Problems in relations with one’s parents, or with one’s child. A strong aliance of two persons leaves a third one outside.
4 of cups: Family. A collective of people (family, community etc.) with a history and a sense of belonging. Commitment to a group, at the price of giving up personal interests.
Inverse: Problems and discord in the family or in a long-lasting community. A fixed social structure which doesn’t allow for adaptation or flexibility.
5 of cups: Links. Popularity, relations with many people. Becoming the center of attention in a group. Relying on connections with other people to advance oneself or to overcome difficulties.
Inverse: Excessive preoccupation with social activity. Losing oneself in multiple superficial connections. Cultivating virtual instead of real contacts.
6 of cups: Continuity. A long-term relationship. Repetition between different generations in the family. A stable personal alliance.
Inverse: Monotony, tedious repetition. Falling time and again into the same emotional traps.
7 of cups: Individuality. A single person finding his place in a group. Contact with people in high positions. Exceptional qualities are appreciated.
Inverse: Problems of integration in a group or an organization. Being part of a collective, but feeling isolated and estranged.
8 of cups: Involvement. A couple’s relationship accepted by the two families. A feast or a family event. Developing personal relationships in a group surrounding.
Inverse: Interference of the environment in a couple’s relationships. Pressures from one’s family in romantic or personal matters.
9 of cups: Collectivity. A group or organization working harmoniously with everyone finding his proper place. Accepting one’s role in a social environment. Happiness, wishes coming true.
Inverse: A confusing social situation, difficulty in situating oneself within a complex environment.
10 of cups: Leadership. A person with special qualities receives appreciation and a high status. Responsibility for other people. Maintaining one’s superior position over others.
Inverse: A fallen leader, loss of popularity. Disappointment because of ingratitude by people that you helped.
Page of Cups: First and unsure steps in a romantic endeavor. Shyness. Sincere intentions. Trying to figure out one’s own feelings.
Inverse: Over-absorption in one’s personal feelings, losing contact with others. Sloppiness in practical affairs.
Knight of Cups: A romantic gesture, offering one’s heart, courting. Openness, sincerity, a simple heart. A potential lover may appear.
Inverse: Superficial and unstable feelings. An over-optimistic but unrealistic attitude. A presentation of fake emotions. Romantic declarations without deep substance.
Queen of Cups: A rich inner world which is kept hidden. Guarding one’s privacy or something valuable. Strong feelings held under control.
Inverse: Closure, defensiveness. Distrust of others due to negative past experiences. Hiding one’s emotions under guise of rational criticism.
King of Cups: Emotional maturity, optimism, ability to overcome past injuries and look ahead. Openness to new things, but with prudence and caution. Closing one’s ear to voices from the past.
Inverse: Difficulty in overcoming an emotional blow. A pessimistic outlook caused by negative past experiences.